Spyware? Random advertising popups (1 Viewer)

[NickSo]

I just reformatted my P166 for basic web surfing in another room in the house, but one of the programs i installed contains some spyware or something. It oculd be MSNPlus, but not certain.

Anyways, i ran adaware, but it didnt fix it.

Its basically a popup window, but its not like from IE or anything, its like a regular windows popup message that says eomthing about Casino's and $200, with the boxes OK and CANCEL.

I searched the registry with the words in the mesage box, but it couldnt find anything.

Any help?

Edit: here's a screenshot: http://www3.telus.net/sonick/stuff/popup.jpg

 

[Tony-B]

Nick, what OS are you using on that PC?

By the way, your sig is scaring me...

 

[Patrick Sun]

Do a google search for "popup killer" or "popup stopper".

 

[NickSo]

Windows98SE... teeheehee, I will overrule Rain's nostril sigpic with my freaky eyes

Its NOT a regular InternetExplorer popup window (im using Popup Stopper from panicware, wihc closes ALL IE popups if i dont tell it not to), so the popup stopper program does not work.

Rather its a message box. The box is like a windows message box (ie. the same kind you get when a program asks you to save a file, but instead its askin if i wanna go gambling, and its OK! or CANCEL).

im not on the computer right now, but ill try to get a screenshot when it comes up when i use it, and ill post it up here.

 

[Tony-B]

Rain's nostrils can't even compare to the freaky eyes of Nick! By the way, if you can see me, what am I doing at this moment?

Alright, post that screenshot!

 

[Carl Johnson]

Adaware doesn't kill them all, even with that and popup killer on my system I still get more than my share of ads. I never really gave it much thought, I let the filters do their work and i just clean up whatever slips thru manually.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Turn off windows messaging

 

[Carl Johnson]

How would I go about doing that?

 

[Dave F]

Yep, it's most likely Windows Messaging. Shut it off, make sure you have run Windows Update to get the latest and greatest, and make sure you have a decent firewall.

-Dave

 

[Tony-B]

Turn off windows messaging

Nick is running 98. Not 2000 or XP.

 

[Brad kl]

it's windows messaging (yes, that can be running under win98).

It should be illegal what they are doing.

turn it off, and download some firewall software.

 

[Steven K]

Hmm, I dont know how Windows Messaging would work in 98... in XP and 2000, it runs as an NT Service so you can go to the Service Control manager and disable it.

 

[Brad kl]

so have him post a screenshot next time one comes up and we'll know for sure what it is.

 

[Dave F]

Windows Messaging appeared in Win98 as WinPopup. Different name, same idea.

-Dave

 

[Dave F]

BTW: Here's some info on disabling it: http://www.more.net/security/advisor...02/021025.html

(A good firewall should block it anyway)

-Dave

 

[NickSo]

okay thansk alot, ive been meaning to ask how to disable it..

i have it running through a basic router (SMC7004VBR), but the firewall is disabled on it... and since its a P166, i dont want too mcuh stuff running in the background, its slow enough as it is

 

[nolesrule]

Turn on the firewall on the SMC router. You shouldn't be accessing the Internet without it. I've been using the original SMC7004BR for a few years now and I've never seen one of those things. The SMC is a great router. You should take advantage of all its features.

I use the Windows Messenger to send my wife little "I love you"'s when she is working hard locked in the room writing a aterm paper, so I don't want to disable it and behind a firewall I don't need to.

 

[RandyObert]

Proper name for this is "Net Bios Spam"
It is ported in thru ports 135-140. Simply turning off "windows messaging" (admin tool) is not the way to do this (other programs may need the ports). You need either a software solution like zone alarm, black ice or similar firewall or if you are on DSL or Cable a router is far superior.
If you can get a screen shot and contact the upstream provider of the web site, they will pull the plug on them.
I think the ba****rds should be taken out in a field and shot personally. What an invasion of privacy.

 

[NickSo]

Okay, i finally got a screenie of it when i was surfing today... take note i enabled my firewall in the router, and also renamed the WINPOPUP file so it doesnt open anymore:

http://www3.telus.net/sonick/stuff/popup.jpg

 

[Jeff Kleist]

looks to me like you have some kind of Ad/Spyware on your machine. I'd CALL Casino On-Net and tell them that if they don't give you instructions on how to remove it that you're going to send them certified mail which will inform them of your $500 proofreading fee for every unwanted message that comes across your screen by them